Federal Halfway Houses (RRCs): Placement, Rules and Passes

A federal halfway house is a contract facility where a person finishes the last part of a prison sentence while working and getting ready to go home. The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) calls them Residential Reentry Centers, or RRCs. The BOP can place a person in prerelease custody for up to the last 12 months of the sentence (18 U.S.C. § 3624(c)(1)), and it decides how much of that time each person gets.

A person in a halfway house is still serving the prison sentence and is still in BOP custody. This guide covers federal halfway houses only.

What a federal halfway house is

RRCs are run by private companies and nonprofits under contracts with the BOP. The BOP used to call them Community Corrections Centers (CCCs), and some of its policies still use that name. An RRC gives a structured, supervised place to live while the person looks for work, saves money, finds housing, and reconnects with family (BOP, Residential Reentry Management Centers).

Most halfway houses have two levels (Program Statement 7310.04):

• Community corrections component. This is the stricter level. People usually start here for about two weeks. Except for work and other set program activities, they stay at the center.
• Prerelease component. People move up when staff decide they are ready. They get more time in the community, including evening and weekend passes.

Many people move from the halfway house to home confinement for the last part of their time.

How much halfway house time the law allows

Up to 12 months under § 3624(c)(1)

Section 3624(c)(1) tells the BOP, "to the extent practicable," to make sure a prisoner spends part of the final months of the sentence, "not to exceed 12 months," in conditions that help the person prepare for reentry. Those conditions may include a halfway house. The BOP's regulation says the same (28 C.F.R. § 570.21(a)).

Before 2008, the limit was the last 10% of the sentence, up to six months. The Second Chance Act of 2007, signed on April 9, 2008, raised it to 12 months (Pub. L. 110-199, § 251). Twelve months is a ceiling, not a promise. After the Act, the BOP told staff that every prisoner is eligible for up to 12 months, but not everyone is appropriate for that much (BOP memo, June 24, 2010).

First Step Act time credits can add more

People who earn First Step Act time credits can use them for more time in prerelease custody, and the 12-month limit does not apply to that time (18 U.S.C. § 3624(g)(10)). Our home confinement guide explains how credits are applied.

The BOP can use a halfway house at any point

Section 3621(b) lets the BOP place a person in "any available penal or correctional facility." Courts have held that a halfway house counts, so the BOP can place someone there at any point, not only at the end of a sentence. See Goldings v. Winn, 383 F.3d 17 (1st Cir. 2004); Elwood v. Jeter, 386 F.3d 842 (8th Cir. 2004).

The BOP agreed in a November 14, 2008 memo from its General Counsel. It told staff that a prisoner's request to transfer to a halfway house cannot be denied automatically, no matter how much time is left, and must get individual consideration (BOP memo, Nov. 14, 2008). The same memo said such early transfers should be approved only in unusual or extraordinary circumstances, so they are rare.

How the BOP decides: the five factors in § 3621(b)

The BOP must decide each placement on an individual basis, using the factors in 18 U.S.C. § 3621(b), and the stay must be long enough "to provide the greatest likelihood of successful reintegration into the community" (28 C.F.R. § 570.22). The five factors are:

1. the resources of the facility being considered
2. the nature and circumstances of the offense
3. the history and characteristics of the prisoner
4. any statement by the sentencing judge about why the sentence was imposed, or recommending a type of facility
5. any relevant policy statement from the U.S. Sentencing Commission

A judge's recommendation for halfway house time is worth asking for at sentencing, but it does not bind the BOP (18 U.S.C. § 3621(b)).

How the length is decided

The BOP's 2013 guidance tells staff to base the length on each person's needs and risk (BOP memo, May 24, 2013). It says:

• A stay of less than 90 days is usually not enough to address several reentry needs.
• Someone with no recent work history, no GED and weak family ties may need up to a year.
• Someone with a short sentence, job prospects, a diploma and close family may need much less.
• Lower-risk people should be considered for home confinement, and higher-risk people for a halfway house.

The 2010 and 2013 memos also say RRM staff should not deny a referral or cut a placement date on their own unless no halfway house bed is available (the 2010 memo also allows for a lack of funds). If RRM staff want to change a referral, the warden must approve the change.

When the referral happens

According to the BOP (Residential Reentry Management Centers), the process works like this:

1. About 17 to 19 months before release, the unit team (unit manager, case manager and counselor) makes a halfway house recommendation at a program review, using the five factors.
2. The warden reviews it. If the warden approves, a referral packet goes to the Residential Reentry Management (RRM) office, ordinarily the one nearest the person's release address.
3. The RRM office reviews the packet and sends it to a halfway house, which decides whether to accept the person.
4. The RRM and the halfway house confirm or adjust the placement date, and the unit team tells the person the final decision.

Questions about a specific placement go to the unit team at the prison where the person is held.

Residential Reentry Management offices and the list of federal halfway houses

Residential Reentry Management offices are BOP field offices that manage halfway house and home confinement placements for a region. They review referrals, oversee the halfway house contracts, and approve moves to home confinement.

The BOP does not publish one simple list of halfway house addresses, and contracts change often. To find current offices and centers, use the BOP's own tools:

• BOP map of Residential Reentry Management offices
• BOP Residential Reentry Center contract directory
• BOP inmate locator

Once a person arrives at a halfway house, the inmate locator shows the RRM office responsible for the person, but not the halfway house's address. The BOP does not release transfer information before the person arrives.

Daily rules in a halfway house

Each halfway house has its own house rules under its BOP contract, so details vary. The BOP describes these common rules (Residential Reentry Management Centers):

• Staff count residents throughout the day.
• Residents leave only by signing out for approved activities, such as work, counseling, visits or recreation.
• Staff can check on a resident at any time while out, and can require random drug or alcohol tests on return.
• Residents keep the same responsibilities and rights as in any other BOP facility.

The BOP's Community Corrections Manual, Program Statement 7300.09 (Jan. 12, 1998, last changed by Change Notice 4 on Mar. 25, 2025), adds that residents are ordinarily expected back by 9:00 p.m. each night unless they are at work.

Can you leave a halfway house during the day?

Yes, for approved reasons. Residents sign out for work, job searches, counseling, religious services, medical care and other approved activities, and must be back by the time set on the sign-out log.

Under the Community Corrections Manual (Program Statement 7300.09):

• Sign-out. Residents in the prerelease component may sign out until the evening curfew. Those in the stricter component may leave only for work and approved program activities.
• Passes. A pass allows an overnight or weekend stay away, usually from after work on Friday until curfew on Sunday. Passes are limited to the local area, within about 100 miles, and residents in the stricter component ordinarily do not get them.
• Furloughs. Being away longer than a weekend or traveling more than 100 miles needs a furlough, which requires approval from the RRM office.

Work and subsistence fees

The BOP expects residents to work. Halfway house staff help with job leads, résumés and interviews, and residents are generally expected to be working 40 hours a week within 15 days of arrival (BOP).

Residents who work pay "subsistence," a share of their pay that helps cover the cost of their stay. The halfway house collects 25% of each employed resident's weekly gross income, but not more than the daily contract rate. Residents with other income, such as retirement income or VA benefits, pay an amount set to approximate 25% of that income (Program Statement 7300.09, § 5.13.1).

• The RRM office can waive or reduce subsistence in cases of extreme hardship, such as homelessness or being unable to work because of illness. The resident asks in writing, with a financial statement.
• Someone who does not pay subsistence can lose passes or other benefits, face discipline, or be removed from the program.
• People on home confinement do not pay subsistence (Program Statement 7320.01).

What can send someone back to prison

A halfway house placement can end early. Common reasons:

• Breaking program rules, such as failing a drug or alcohol test. Residents are subject to BOP discipline, and serious or repeated violations can lead to removal from the halfway house and return to a prison.
• Not paying subsistence.
• Not coming back. Failing to return to the halfway house on time, or going somewhere not approved, can be treated as an escape, which is a federal crime (18 U.S.C. § 4082(a); 18 U.S.C. § 751).
• A new arrest or charge.

For people placed using First Step Act time credits, the BOP can add conditions or revoke prerelease custody for a violation, and must revoke it for a violation that is not merely technical (18 U.S.C. § 3624(g)(5)).

What to do if halfway house time is cut or denied

1. Ask the unit team why, in writing. Ask which of the five § 3621(b) factors drove the decision. Keep copies of the referral, any approval, and any notice of a change.
2. File an administrative remedy. This is the BOP's formal complaint process (28 C.F.R. § 542.10 and following). The formal request (BP-9) is due within 20 calendar days of the decision. A person already at a halfway house can skip the informal step and file directly (Program Statement 1330.18). Our home confinement guide lists every deadline.
3. Have a family member contact the RRM office for the release area. Family members can explain the release plan and ask about bed space.
4. Ask your U.S. Representative or Senators for constituent help. Their offices can send inquiries to the BOP.
5. Consider court as a last step. Courts give the BOP wide room here. The law says a placement decision under § 3621(b) is "not reviewable by any court." A claim that the BOP broke the law in carrying out the sentence, such as failing to apply required time credits, is usually brought under 28 U.S.C. § 2241 after the administrative steps are done. See our post on where to file a § 2241 petition.

Start early. The remedy process can take months.

Common questions

How long can you stay in a federal halfway house?

Up to the last 12 months of the sentence under the usual rule (18 U.S.C. § 3624(c)(1)). The BOP decides the actual length case by case, and many stays are shorter. First Step Act time credits can add more prerelease time, because the 12-month limit does not apply to time earned with credits (18 U.S.C. § 3624(g)(10)).

Can you leave a halfway house during the day?

Yes, for approved reasons such as work, job searches, counseling, medical care and religious services. Residents sign out and must return on time, and residents who have moved up to the prerelease component can also earn evening sign-outs and weekend passes (Program Statement 7300.09).

Do you pay to live in a federal halfway house?

Residents who work pay subsistence of 25% of their weekly gross income, capped at the daily contract rate (Program Statement 7300.09, § 5.13.1). Subsistence can be waived or reduced for extreme hardship. People on home confinement do not pay it.

Where can I find a list of federal halfway houses?

Use the BOP's own Residential Reentry Center contract directory and its map of Residential Reentry Management offices. Contracts change often, so older lists go out of date quickly.

Is a halfway house still prison?

Yes. A person in a federal halfway house is still serving the prison sentence and is still in BOP custody (BOP). Supervised release starts only after the prison term ends.

Have a question about halfway house time for yourself or a family member? Book a consultation and tell us what happened. We’ll listen, tell you whether we can help, and explain what comes next.